Colleges & Campus News

UCF Research Powers Mobile-Learning Platform

David Metcalf is director of the Mixed Emerging Technology Integration Lab (METIL) at UCF's Institute for Simulation & Training.

Online-teaching technology designed at UCF is making its way into the private sector.

David Metcalf, a senior researcher at the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Simulation and Training, has helped create technology that will be used in a new online-learning platform coming to mobile devices.

Metcalf’s innovations are an integral part of the new mobile platform scheduled to be released in January by DreamDegree, a private company that offers free college-level courses online. Metcalf’s research allows the mobile courses to be adaptive, allowing users to progress at their own pace based on their answers and mastery of the material.

“Our students are increasingly mobile. DreamDegree integrates mobile, adaptive learning and competency-based education components to improve student outcomes and make learning faster and easier. We are pleased to be partnered with DreamDegree and Significant Technology,” said Metcalf, director of the Mixed Emerging Technology Integration Lab at the institute.

Thomas Cavanagh, associate vice president of Distributed Learning at UCF, said the technology can help lower the cost of a college education.

“I am eager to watch the new releases of the adaptive mobile software as it aims to continuously improve the student experience,” he said.

DreamDegree’s parent company, Significant Technology, LLC, sought out Metcalf as a co-founder to help design the mobile-learning strategy. Metcalf has been a leader in the field of online learning for more than 20 years. The company sponsored his research on the project.

“Dr. Metcalf’s research and technology have made higher education more flexible, affordable and effective for DreamDegree students,” said DreamDegree founder Michael K. Clifford. “And for the many whose life’s ambition was put on hold by living too far from campus, a challenging work schedule, or lack of money, he’s helping open doors that had long been shut.”